VISIONS: CHARLIE SMITH AND THE FRITTER TREE (TV)
Summary
One in this anthology series presenting the work of American playwrights. In this drama, written by Charles Johnson, an elderly man in a nursing home reminisces about his life story through a series of flashbacks. Although fictional, this drama is inspired by the life of the oldest living African-American, Charlie Smith. A nursing home orderly chats with Charlie one morning and learns the elderly man is 134. Charlie regales the orderly with stories of his adventures: flashing back to his childhood, Charlie explains that in 1854, he was brought as a slave from Liberia to New Orleans, and that his parents gave him the name Mitchell Watkins. From 1854 to 1860, Mitchell belonged to Rancher Smith, and grew up on a ranch in Galveston, Texas. Although the Smith children were unkind to Mitchell, Rancher Smith liked him, and Mitchell befriended another young slave named Bill. By 1860, Mitchell was an accomplished rider, cowhand, and Smith's "right-hand man." One day, Bill announced that slavery had ended and that he was leaving for St. Louis. Disturbed that Smith had withheld this exciting news of freedom, Mitchell nonetheless continued working as a hired hand. Since the Smith children and Bill had left, Mitchell and Smith had only each other for company, and their relationship deepened. By 1872, Rancher Smith, on his deathbed, asked Mitchell to take his own name, Charlie Smith. Mitchell left the ranch with his new name and headed West, herding cattle, gambling, drinking, and womanizing. After a run-in with the Jesse James gang, which left him with the nickname the Trigger Kid, Charlie left behind the cowboy life and headed to St. Louis to find his friend Bill. But he was heartbroken to find that the Klan had found Bill first. Next, Charlie tried to work as a bounty hunter, but could not send men to their deaths. From 1899 to 1920, Charlie settled in Florida with a woman named Pearl. But a perilous business venture with Pearl's cousin almost ruined him and his growing family. In 1955, he worked briefly in a circus as one of "the oldest men in the world," until he began to feel death stalking him. Then, the orderly interrupts to find out whether Charlie is telling the truth or tall tales, but Charlie refuses to answer. The program concludes with a tape of the real Charlie Smith's 134th birthday. A short video art piece entitled "Ron Hays Music Image" follows.
Details
- NETWORK: KCET-TV (Los Angeles, CA) / PBS
- DATE: October 9, 1978
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:44
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T85:0503
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Blacks - History - Drama; Drama; Video art; African-American Collection - News/Talk
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1976-1980
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Barbara Schultz … Executive Producer
- Fred Barzyk … Producer, Director
- David Loxton … Producer, Director
- Olivia Tappan … Associate Producer
- Darlene Mastro … Associate Producer
- Charles Johnson … Writer
- Joseph Raposo … Theme Music by, For "Visions"
- John Q. Adams … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Consultant
- Donny Cooper … Cast, Mitchell Watkins
- Glynn Thurman … Cast, young Charlie Smith
- Richard Ward … Cast, old Charlie Smith
- Clifton Powell … Cast, the Orderly
- Roy Brocksmith … Cast, the Auctioneer
- Richard Dysart … Cast, Rancher Smith
- Scott Fults … Cast, Henry
- Heidi Deming … Cast, Kate
- John Middleton … Cast, young Bill
- Sterling Stuart … Cast, the Runaway Slave
- Tim Russ … Cast, older Bill
- Thomas Carroll … Cast, Pinky
- George Hawkins … Cast, the Porter
- Morgan Freeman … Cast, Railroad Bill
- John Gillies … Cast, Sheriff Denton
- Mary Alice … Cast, Pearl
- Julius Harris … Cast, Fishman
- Robert Shaw … Cast, the Piano Player
- Morris Morrison … Cast, the Nickelodeon Player
- Andrew Francis … Cast, the Nickelodeon Patron
- Jim Goode … Cast, the Sheriff
- Arthur Burghardt … Cast, the Preacher
- Richard Jones … Cast, the Carnival Barker
- Bob OÕBradovich … Cast, Juan
- Joanne Hamlin … Cast, the Nurse
- For "Music Image"
- Ron Hays … Created by
- Francisco Lupica … Music by
- Cosmic Bean Connection, The … Music Group